*Thank-you for the reviews on the last chapter they were greatly appreciated. Thank-you all so much!*

DEAN's POINT OF VIEW:

"Mr. Ambrose," says the principal as I am waiting for my pass from the secretary to go to class and for being late. "Another tardy," he says. "What is this number 35 this year?"

"I'm sorry," I say, "I just had a little trouble at home. It won't happen again."

"Mr. Ambrose, you say that but you and I both know tomorrow morning you'll be in here for another pass. This is unacceptable there is no reason to be this late every day. And your grades Mr. Ambrose, you're very close to having to repeat the 11th grade."

"I'm working on it."

"I've talked to your teachers," he says as the secretary hands me my pass. "Many of them say you've been distracted as of late, most of the time you never show up to class or you're always late or you leave early. You aren't committed to your classes and your grades show that, Mr. Ambrose. You're not turning in assignments, you're failing tests you're not doing very well and you are very close to being in 11th grade again next year."

"I will work harder," I say, "can I go to class now?" I ask just as the bell rings signaling that my first period class; English is over.

"Remember what I said, Mr. Ambrose, it's time to shape up or you're going to be in 11th grade again."

"Yes, Sir," I say before I walk out of the office and make my way to my locker. I toss my pass into the trashcan since I don't need it now. I put in my combination and open my locker to pull out a couple books for my next class. The Great Gatsby book falls out of my bag.

"What's this shit?" asks my friend Gage as he picks it up. "The Great Gatsby," he says, "pfft. Getting smart on me Ambrose?"

"It's nothing like that my partner gave it to me to read," I say tossing it into my locker.

"Partner?" he asks.

"Yeah for some stupid project but I got paired with that Anastasia girl."

"That's a good thing," he says, "She's smart. You don't even have to do any work she'll do it for you and you'll get an A just because your name is on the paper."

"No, she was pushing me to do this last night. She wants me to read the book and actually do the project with her. I thought it was going to be easy."

"Apparently not like her," he says.

"What does that mean?" I ask.

"Her boyfriend was talking shit in the locker room about her the other day saying she doesn't put out for him."

"I wouldn't either the guy is an asshole," I say. "I don't really care. I just need to get an A so it looks like I am putting some effort into my work. Principal Jackass was on my ass this morning about me being late. He said I was on the verge of having to repeat 11th grade. I don't care. I have plans to leave this God forsaken town at the end of the year."

"Where do you plan on going?" he asks. "And what are you going to do?"

"I don't know wherever I end up I guess and I will find work somewhere I guess. I have to get out of Cincinnati. I can't do any worse than I am doing now."

"Where are you getting the money for this?"

"I'm working for Dom," I say. "I am making money."

"Doing his dirty work. Is that what happened to your eye?" he asks talking of my black and blue eye that I got for not being at my meeting with Dom on time the night before because I was with Anastasia.

"Yeah," he says, "I'm cool though. I just have to pump a little more."

"What all do you got on you?" he asks.

"Keep it down," I say. "I only brought the weed to school to sell to these idiots. I have the heavy stuff at home though. Want to buy something?"

"Yeah," he says. "I'll hit you up later."

"Cool," I say as I spot Anastasia, her boyfriend and her friends walking toward us. "Great," I say with annoyance as I see her dark eyes look at me and our eyes meet.

"What?" asks Gage. I point my chin into their direction and he says, "Oh Snob Squad," he says as they get closer.

I hope that as they get closer Anastasia keeps going and she doesn't talk to me but she stops by my locker. "Ana, what are you doing?" asks her boyfriend as he stops with her.

"I just want to talk to Dean for a little bit," she says, "go to Calculus without me. I'll be there shortly," she says.

"Come on, Ana," he says taking her hand but she doesn't budge. "Don't waste your time with this idiot," he says. "Let's go. You were late two days ago don't be late again because of him," he says looking at me.

"Just go," she says.

"Whatever," he says as he and her friends walk away.

"Hello, Dean, I missed you in English class," she says.

"Yeah I couldn't make it," I say.

"What happened to your eye?" she asks. "It looks bad," she says as she reaches up to touch it with her small hands. I flinch as her soft fingers brush against my shiner. "Did you put anything on it?"

"Just some ice," I say as I feel the electricity in her touch as she strokes it softly. "It's fine," I say as I remove her hand. "What did you need Anastasia? You're going to be late."

"I just wanted to make sure you're okay."

"I'm fine," I say. "You should go to class."

"I don't care if I am late," she says as she gets into her bag. "Here," she says handing me papers from her folder that she pulls out. "I took some notes from English class for you and I also have some notes for our project for you to look over. The notes are important. Mrs. Regan is giving a test on The Great Gatsby on Monday. It will do you good to study the notes those are everything on the test," she says. I'm in complete shock and don't know what to make of it when she hands me the notes.

"Thanks," I say with uncertainty. I don't know her motive. I don't know if I can trust her just yet. Her boyfriend is the biggest asshole in this school. I don't know if they are playing a trick on me or if she is really this sincere. I'm not letting my guard down around her for a while.

"You're welcome," she says as she looks at Gage and then back at me making her voice into a whisper. "And I brought you some lunch. I remember what you said last night so I wanted to make sure you had something to eat today."

"I'm fine. I get a free lunch. You don't have to pity me, Anastasia," I say as she hands me a brown paper bag.

"I'm not pitying you," she says softly. "I'm just trying to help you," she says, "and please call me Ana."

"We're not on informalities here, Anastasia."

"Ana," she says.

"Fine, Ana. You better get to class you'll be late."

"I will," she says with a soft smile. "Are we still meeting tomorrow, Dean?" she asks.

"Yeah 5 pm?" I ask, "at the library?"

"Sure," she says, "That works for me."

"Me too," I say. "See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow," she says as she touches my arm softly causing me to pull away. "Bye."

"Bye," I say before she walks away. I turn and look at Gage as the bell rings. "What are you looking at?"

"You," he says crossing his arms with a smirk on his face. "She's pretty hot," he says, "You should try to see if she will put out for you."

"No," I say. "She has a boyfriend and who says I want it."

"You can't tell me that you don't think she's hot," he says, "look at her."

"Look," I say, "she's just helping me get a good grade. And girls like her don't date or have anything to do with guys like us. She's too good for us. You know what we get. It doesn't matter when she's done with this project she's going to go back to her high horse."

"I don't know she seemed pretty sincere," he says, "I think she likes you."

"That's ridiculous," I say, "She has a boyfriend. She's just being nice so I cooperate on this project. Everyone will go back to their own world when this is all over and I won't exist to her anymore."

"Whatever you say," he says as I throw my lunch into my locker before shutting it before going to my next class.

The day drags on like it usually does. I just keep going to class not paying attention at all hoping for the day to be over. By the end of the day I race out of the school and meet up with Gage so that I can sell him what he wants. We walk to my house after school going from the decent part of town into the bad part of town where the buildings are abandoned, trash piling up in vacant lots, windows boarded up on many of the houses. We make our way to my house a few blocks into the bad part of town. We walk up the concrete stairs of my house and walk into the screen door with the torn screen and through the dirty white door. I shut it behind me and we make our way up to my bedroom. I get into my closet and pull out a box. "What do you want, Gage?" I ask.

"Hook me up with some coke," he says.

"Coke," I say, "That's pretty expensive."

"Yeah I know," he says, "but I need some."

"All right," I say as I give him what he asks for before he slips the money into my hand. "Pleasure doing business with you. Anything else?"

"Yeah I want some MJ," he says.

"Cool," I say as I get him the MJ and hand it to him holding out my hand for his cash after I tell him the price.

"Thanks," he says, "are you lighting up tonight?"

"Yeah," I say. "I could use a fat one after school today. I don't know why Anastasia is talking to me like we've been best friends for years when she never gave a shit before," I say as I roll us a blunt before sparking it up.

"I told you Anastasia is hot for you. Didn't you pick up on that yet?" he asks as I pass it to him after taking a hit.

"I don't know. She's too good for me. I could turn a good girl bad."

"I'm sure you could," he says handing it back to me. "I think that might be worth the challenge."

"I don't know, Gage," I say taking a hit. "I just don't think this is the life she envisions. I mean girls like Anastasia ride in limos, they have maids to clean their houses. They don't go for guys like this."

"Yeah you're right," he says as we continue to smoke and pass it around talking about our day.

After Gage leaves I venture into the kitchen to get something to eat. I worked up quite the appetite after my afternoon with Gage. I look in the fridge and see nothing but milk and cheese in the fridge. I shut the door and walk over to the cabinets finding them bare. My mom is out on a binge again and didn't' go to the grocery store. I have no money on me so I can't go out to eat so I walk into my room and get into my bag. I pull out the brown bag Anastasia gave me for lunch and take it out to the kitchen. I sit down at the table and pull out the contents; some type of sandwich, a bag of chips, an apple and some carrots along with a bottle of water. I open the bag containing the sandwich. I examine it and see that it's a turkey and cheese sandwich made to perfection with lettuce and tomato. It's warm but it doesn't matter I'm starving. I need to eat. I inhale the sandwich. It's delicious. And then I move on to the apple, the carrots and then the chips before drinking down the water. I am satisfied as I finish the lunch she packs me. I throw the brown paper bag into the trashcan and then go back to my room. I get into my bag and pull out the notes that Anastasia gave me. I smile as I look over them and spend most of the evening looking over them and doing some studying.

I am interrupted a few hours later by my mom coming into my room half drunk and high. "Dean," she says, "do you have a few dollars I can borrow?"

"Mom," I say, "I gave you some money this morning before I went to school. You were supposed to get groceries with it but there's nothing here what did you do with the $100 I gave you and what happened to your food stamps? How are they out all ready this month?"

"Dean, don't patronize me. I need some money. I have to pay someone for this afternoon."

"I don't have any money except what belongs to Dom," I say, "and I'm not fucking with his money. How much money do you need?" I ask.

"Just $50," she says.

"I don't have that," I say.

"Shit," she says, "well, I will just need to pay him another way. You might want to leave. Things might get a little crazy."

"Mom, I'm trying to study," I say.

She laughs, "Dean, you don't study."

"I have to or I am going to be in 11th grade again and I am doing this project. I need to know what's going on."

"Well, go study somewhere else, Mama needs the house."

"Fine," I say as I pack up my things. "I'll see you tomorrow. Be careful, Mom," I say.

"I'm always careful," she says. "You be careful," she says.

"I will," I say before I give her a hug. I grab my bag, a blanket from my bed and head to the living room to grab my torn and ripped up jacket, my gloves with holes in them and a hat to brave the cold Ohio weather. I open the front door to my house, descending down the stairs and make my way to the park down the street. I find a vacant bench and take a seat. I look over my notes and look over the notes for our project before I lay down and sleep on the park bench for the night in the freezing cold weather as it starts to snow.

ANASTASIA's POINT OF VIEW:

It is well after 9 pm after I finish my private ballet lesson. I worked hard for three hours and sweat is dripping and pouring from me as I gather my things. "Very nice, Anastasia," says Madame Giselle. "I am proud of you."

"Thank-you," I say with a smile. "Do you think I have a chance of getting into the Jeoffrey?"

"I think you have a great chance," she says, "that's what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Okay," I say as I take my point shoes off.

"I was going to wait to tell you about this but I think there is no better time than now to tell you. There are people coming from the Jeoffrey at the end of March to our studio. They are holding a tryout for potential students. They asked that I pick 5 of my best students to audition. You are one of my best students and I want you to audition. You would have to go to New York to live but you would be doing what you love. You would be able to do as much ballet as you wanted. You would really love it. They are offering a scholarship and I would really like you to tryout. You wouldn't go until the start of next year but they want to start their auditions now. They have 10 openings they are trying to fill going all over the country to find potential students. Would you be interested in doing that?"

I smile and feel excitement inside of me. "Of course," I say with a smile. "I would love that. I would have to move to New York to go to the Jeoffrey next school year if I get in?"

"Yes," she says with a smile.

"Do you think I have a chance?" I ask.

"I think you have a very good chance. I know you're going to get in, Anastasia. When you dance," she says, "I see it here," she says pointing to my face, "you look so happy and so peaceful as you dance, and I know it's here," she says pointing to my heart. "You love dance so much," she says with a smile. "You can tell every time you move. You've been one of my students since you were 2 years old. You have been an exceptional student. I know that you can do this, Anastasia, if you really want it then go for it."

"My dad says ballet is a waste of time. He told me to give it up and to give up on my dreams. He says that I'll never make it."

"And your dad has never watched you dance," she says, "I have and I know you have it. This is it, Anastasia, this audition is the one you've been waiting for. You've given up your life for dance. You have the passion for it and I know this is what you have wanted most in your life. Don't let the words of your father stop you from reaching your dreams. Do you want to be a ballerina?"

"That or a writer," I say, "I have wanted to be a ballerina since I was three years old and I saw the Nutcracker. That's my dream. I want to be able to dance in The Nutcracker someday. I want to be in ballets. I want this," I say.

"Then do it. Audition for this Anastasia, opportunities like this are a once in a lifetime opportunity and if you don't take it then I don't want you to look back and wonder what if."

"I'm going to do it," I say with a smile. "I have to. I've worked so hard for this and if I can get out of this town it would be the best move of my life. My dad will hate me forever but I have to do what's best for me. I can't keep letting him tell me how to live my life. And what about school?"

"You'd have to enroll in online classes," she says, "We'll discuss it if you get into the Jeoffrey but right now focus on your audition. I know you can do this, Anastasia and there's nothing in your life to stop you from getting there."

"I know," I say with a smile. "Thank-you, thank-you so much," I say as I hug her.

"You're welcome," she says with a smile as she hugs me back.

*A/N: What do you think of Dean's life as far as how he survives? Do you think Anastasia has any impact on him at all? Do you believe Dean could have feelings for Anastasia? And what about Anastasia does she have feelings for Dean or is she just being nice because he's her partner? When the project is finished do you believe everything will turn back to the way it was before? What did you think about Dean's mom? Do you think Anastasia should do the ballet audition? Please review and thank-you for reading.